In this episode of Built to Divide, we pick up where the post-2008 housing machine left off—and show how the subscription economy (SaaS, streaming, “pay forever”) migrated into the built environment.

Dimitrius Lynch traces the privatization movement from Milton Friedman’s voucher logic and post–Brown v. Board backlash to modern power brokers like ALEC, corporate bill-writing, and the quiet reframing of citizens into customers.

Then we explore build-to-rent communities engineered for “predictable cash flow,” housing-as-a-dashboard, and the rise of rentier capitalism—profits from controlling gates, not creating value. The episode connects BlackRock’s infrastructure thesis and Aladdin risk platform, the 2008 recovery pipeline, and the long continuity from Bretton Woods → financialization → asset management dominance.

Finally, we widen the lens to the next frontier: farmland financialization, where ownership detaches from stewardship and the right to live—and farm—becomes something you lease back.

Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content found during research.

Episode Credits:

Production in collaboration with Gābl Media

Written & Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez